US Firm Firefly Makes Its First Moon Landing with Uncrewed Blue Ghost Spacecraft
Firefly Aerospace scores lunar touchdown with Blue Ghost lander, marking company's first and second for a private firm. The size of a compact car, the four-legged Blue Ghost carried 10 scientific payloads as it touched down at 3:35am ET (0835 GMT) near an ancient volcanic vent on Mare Crisium, a large basin in the northeast corner of the moon's Earth-facing side. Firefly became the second private firm to score a soft moon landing.
- This achievement underscores the growing capabilities of small satellite companies and their role in advancing space exploration, potentially paving the way for more ambitious missions.
- How will the ongoing private efforts to explore the moon impact the future of lunar research, resource utilization, and potential human settlements?